Lunar Eclipse Illustration
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Students use a graphics program and clipart to illustrate the lunar eclipse
Students collect clipart from the internet to create a graphical model of the lunar eclipse. Students use a paint program using layers to add and scale the clipart, and the fill tool and line tool to create the illustration of how a lunar eclipse occurs. Students use the text tool and formatting bar to annotate the illustration. This activity integrates technology into the Earth Science curriculum.
Grade 3 and up
Extension: Upload the finished illustration to Voicethread and add audio narration. Upload to student blog / website portfolio.
Lunar Eclipse Illustration Finished Example:
This example uses Paint.NET, a free paint program for Windows.
Students download clipart from the internet to the My Pictures directory. Students open a blank canvas (800 X 600) and add each piece of clipart using Layers > Import from file.
Students use the line tool to draw lines illustrating the path of the sunlight and shadow.
Students use the fill tool to color the background and the text tool to annotate the illustration.
Finished Example # 2
This example uses a picture of stars added as the bottom layer of the illustration. The rectangle tool is used to draw a box and then the fill tool is used to fill the rectangle with gray paint to provide the background for the white text.
How to Ilustrate the Lunar Eclipse with Paint.NET
Before starting the illustration, download clipart for the sun,earth and moon.
Step One:
Open a new file in Paint.NET (File > New) and set the width and height to 800 X 600.
Import the sun picture as a layer (Layers > Import from file).
Use the line tool and draw the two lines as shown below.
Step Two:
Import the Earth picture and fit into the lines as shown below.
Import the moon picture and fit it into the lines as shown below.
Flatten all of the layers into a single layer (Image > Flatten).
Step Three:
Draw vertical lines in the middle of the earth picture and moon picture as shown below.
Use the bucket fill tool to add the yellow sunlight shining on earth.
Add the shade on the other half of the earth and the moon as shown.
Step Four:
Use the bucket fill tool to color the background.
Use the text tool to annotate the image as necessary.
Save the image with a descriptive name ( lunar-eclipse-by-joyce-barros.png )
